SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop

Work Faster with Market-Leading Usability

This is a user-friendly Linux desktop you will clamor to use. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop delivers a seamless desktop experience through an award-winning graphical user interface, integrated search and accessibility capabilities, and powerful 3D graphical effects. Get the Linux desktop, available in a host of languages, that gives you a dramatically new way to be productive.

Intuitive graphical user interface

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop was developed using a "Design First" methodology. Thanks to this design approach and customer feedback, you get a user-friendly Linux desktop that has an intuitive menu design and beautiful fonts, delivers a seamless experience, and is so easy to use.

Desktop interface

Calendar integration

3D graphical effects

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop features high-end graphics capabilities to help you achieve new levels of desktop productivity. With SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, you gain effects such as:

Application tiling, which provides a one-click snapshot of all open applications

Alt-tabbing, which includes multi-dimensional thumbnail views of open applications

Switching between applications

View of all open applications

Integrated search

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop features an integrated search engine built right into the desktop. Integrated search does real-time indexing throughout your entire desktop to deliver easy and fast access to all your content. It makes it easy to find nearly anything you stored on your desktop. Look for documents, emails, IM chats, web pages, images, videos and even "information within information" such as text within a document. With this user-friendly search, you no longer need to worry about where and when you stored your work. A simple keyword search is all you need to get the latest information at your fingertips.

Accessibility

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop provides a wide range of tools that make it easier for users with disabilities to access the desktop. The Orca screen reader gives you the ability to use Braille input and output devices, magnify the screen or use predefined key settings to interact with your desktop. Organizations that have requirements to meet assistive technology standards such those in US Federal Section 508 of the Disabilities Act can easily do so with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop.

Localization

SUSE's goal is to make SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop available to as many people as possible, so we continue to strongly invest in desktop localization efforts. To date, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is available in many languages, including English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Japanese, Chinese, Dutch, Czech, Brazilian-Portuguese, Polish, Catalan, Arabic, Hungarian, Korean, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Hebrew and more.

Slash your Desktop Costs

Tired of paying high prices for Windows? SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop can cost up to 90% less than Windows and Office, making this Linux desktop more than pay for itself.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop offers the flexibility to meet a wide range of customer needs. You can deploy it as a general-purpose desktop, use it in various thick client or thin client configurations, or rely on it for high-end engineering workstations.

Flexible and configurable

Because SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is based on open source software, it provides you greater flexibility than proprietary platforms. You can tailor virtually any element of the desktop to your specific needs. Unlike Windows, advanced configuration does not require a separate software stack that costs you additional licensing and training fees. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is built to respect and satisfy the specific needs of your business. Customization possibilities include:

Thin-client deployments—For thin-client machines, you can remove all unnecessary applications to minimize the installation footprint.

Granular control of the installation image—You can specify how your desktop and applications should be configured at a fine-grained level for each user, or for the overall enterprise. Your different configurations can be based on office suite settings, network access settings, desktop dialog preferences and more.

Desktop lock-down—You can configure user access restrictions. For example, you can prevent certain users from downloading applications or writing to removable media. This further hardens your systems and prevents unauthorized activity.

Get Dozens of Bundled Applications

Get the Linux desktop that comes bundled with dozens of leading applications at no extra cost.

With a web browser, email, calendaring, instant messaging and dozens of other applications, we've got you covered.

Mozilla Firefox Web Browser

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop includes Firefox, the latest version of the world's fastest, most secure and customizable web browser. Firefox comes with leading features such as integrated search, one-click bookmarking, smart location toolbars, and advanced security and privacy tools. In addition, its broad standards support and compatibility features let you work with many web pages and applications that would otherwise require Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Evolution Email and Calendaring

Evolution is the most widely used Linux collaboration client in the world and integrates email, calendaring, contact management and tasks into one easy-to-use application. Bundled into SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, Evolution integrates smoothly with other applications and communications tools. It also connects to a wide range of collaboration servers and any collaboration server that supports the IMAP and POP standards.

Pidgin Instant Messaging

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop includes Pidgin for instant messaging. Pidgin supports popular public IM networks such as AOL, MSN, Jabber and Yahoo!. Pidgin also supports Novell® GroupWise® Instant Messaging, offering security and control by keeping the messaging system both encrypted and contained within the company.

Shotwell Photo Manager

Shotwell is an open source photo management solution integrated into SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop. It lets you import photos from disk or camera, view them in full-window, fullscreen or slideshow mode and easily share them to web services like Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. Shotwell offers you advanced support for cataloging and editing, delivering full-scale photo management at no extra cost with SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop.

Rhythmbox Music Player

Rhythmbox is an open source audio player that lets you listen to and organize the sounds of your life. It supports playback not only from your digital music library, but also streaming Internet radio and podcasts. You can also import your music from your iPod. With Rhythmbox, you can organize your music into playlists and create audio CDs from the playlist. As part of SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop, Rhythmbox helps to amplify your productive life.

LibreOffice

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop includes LibreOffice, the latest full office productivity suite on Linux that provides word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, drawing and database capabilities. LibreOffice works like Microsoft Office and is interoperable with Microsoft Office file formats. In addition, LibreOffice includes Major OOXML graphics improvements, better handling of comments in margins, native rendering of toolbars on Mac OSX, the insertion of animated 3D models in Impress presentations and improved usability of Calc spreadsheets.

Interoperate with What You Already Have

Your operating systems don't have to be at war. Choose the Linux desktop that plays best with your current IT environment.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop interoperates with your existing systems and allows you to easily leverage your IT investments. It was designed to coexist with Windows, Mac, UNIX and other operating systems. That's why SUSE Linux Enterprise is the most interoperable Linux desktop available today.

Co-exists with Windows

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop ships with LibreOffice, a complete office productivity suite that is compatible with Microsoft Office file formats. It allows you to easily open and save to Microsoft Office files, and work with Microsoft Office users. We know it's not Windows or Linux in the real world. It's Windows and Linux.

Hardware, multimedia and other standards

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop also allows you to easily leverage your other

Multimedia

The cornerstone of the multimedia support in SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop is Rhythmbox. Rhythmbox includes such features as playlist support, iPod integration, podcast playback, and support for streaming audio. You can also create and import Audio CDs, manage multiple libraries and download and install plugins that add new features to Rhythmbox. In addition, users are able to browse the online (and digital rights management-free) music stores Magnatune and Jamendo.

Network standards

Whether you are running NetIQ eDirectory or Microsoft Active Directory, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop allows you to seamlessly integrate with your current networks while providing the same security standards. In addition, it easily connects to wired and wireless networks and fully supports IPv6.

File standards

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop supports most Linux file systems as well as Microsoft FAT, NTFS, and Mac HPFS. It also supports a wide range of network file protocols including FTP, NFS, CIFS and SMB2.

Bullet-Proof Desktop Security

Protect and secure your data. With SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop you can build a firewall around each application you use giving you peace of mind as you get work done.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop delivers a desktop computing platform with proven security. Beginning with its heritage in the UNIX world, and adding the strength and manageability of leading application security technology, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop delivers bullet-proof security and peace of mind.

Windows Security Problems

When you think of Windows security, lots of things come to mind: viruses, malware, spyware, the blue screen of death, and long delays in getting the latest patches from Microsoft. Security flaws can cost you hundreds of millions of dollars per year as you fix your Windows system and install new service packs. This leads to lost time, productivity and money.

So why is Windows inherently insecure? First, it's a monolithic operating system with services such as Internet Explorer tightly integrated into the operating system. All it takes is a single security vulnerability to expose the entire Windows system to damage. Secondly, Windows traditionally created extra security vulnerabilities by establishing user accounts with "administrator" privileges by default. This allows any malware program to wreak havoc by installing new applications and creating, changing or deleting virtually any file on the machine.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Strengthens Security

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop delivers bullet-proof security in two key ways. First, unlike Windows, Linux has a much more modular architecture. Different elements of the operating system are loosely coupled together, making it much more difficult for a security flaw from one part of the system to impact another part of the system.

In addition, SUSE Linux Enterprise does not provide administrator or unlimited privileges by default. This ensures that an application can only do what it is "supposed" to do. For instance, when you run an application such as a word processor, that word processor runs with your restricted privileges. It can only write to your own home directory. It cannot write to a system file or even to another user's directory unless your IT administrator explicitly gives you permission to do so. This limits widespread damage to the system.

Second, SUSE Linux Enterprise also includes a powerful suite of built-in security tools. It includes AppArmor, an application-level security framework that provides mandatory access control for programs. AppArmor allows you to specify the files that a program may access and the operations that it may perform on the files. AppArmor denies or logs any other behavior beyond that scope. This protects your desktop against the exploitation of software flaws. It includes everything you need to contain programs and thwart attempted exploits, including zero-day attacks.

AppArmor also includes a "learning mode" that automates the development of application-specific security so that no new expertise is required. Finally, it contains integrated Virtual Private Networking (VPN), a firewall, antivirus tools and certificate management to bring further peace of mind.

Because Linux is inherently more secure than Windows, and thanks to advanced security technology such as AppArmor, SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop offers the most secure desktop computing platform today.

Easy to Manage

Don't interrupt users when you need to patch your desktops. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop includes a suite of tools that make it easy to install, configure and maintain your Linux desktop.

Think a Linux upgrade for your desktops is going to be hard? Think again. SUSE makes it easy to deploy and update Linux on your desktops. We even allow you to customize your deployments to meet specific needs. However you use it, you can easily administer, update and centrally manage SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop to meet your particular business requirements. Upgrade your desktops to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop today.

Install, configure and update with YaST

SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop comes with YaST, a comprehensive installation, configuration and administration suite. Unique to the SUSE Linux Enterprise platform, YaST is the secret weapon for clean upgrades. It also includes tools to help you configure your desktop from end-user settings to network connections. Thanks to YaST, you barely have to spend any time on Linux updates.

AutoYaST is a time-saving deployment tool that automatically performs installations and configurations. Since SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop shares a common code base with the entire SUSE Linux Enterprise platform, you have access to AutoYaST for an enterprise installation and deployment. AutoYaST allows for unattended and automated installation, so your upgrades don't have to burn cycles for your skilled IT workers. With AutoYaST, administrators can create a consistent baseline configuration for new installations in large or expanding deployments, and the upgrade virtually takes care of itself.

SUSE Manager complements YaST by enabling IT administrators to centrally deploy, upgrade and update their entire data centers inside the firewall. This enables dramatic IT savings and simplicity. This industry-leading solution offers a significant cost advantage over home-grown or competing solutions, making complex upgrades a thing of the past.